FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Top Gateway in Series Opener

Published on July 1, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, Ill. (June 30, 2015) - The Southern Illinois Miners took an early lead against the Gateway Grizzlies and held it, weathering a couple of late pushes by their opponents and taking the series opener on Tuesday night at GCS Ballpark by a score of 5-4.

The Miners jumped out in front in the top of the third inning when Brian Portelli led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout. Michael Earley then doubled him home for a 1-0 Miners lead. They would extend that lead out to 4-0 in the next inning. After Jon Minucci reached on an infield single, Brendan Slattery replaced him at first on a fielder's choice for the second out. Portelli then singled followed by a walk from Aaron Gates to load the bases. Earley followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0 before Niko Vasquez followed with a two-run single of his own, putting the Miners up four.

Adam Lopez (5-0) pitched a quality start over six innings, striking out six and giving up only four hits. One of the hits was a two-run homer by Ben Waldrip in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Miners' lead to 4-2. After the score stayed 4-2 for two innings, the Miners plated what ended up being the winning run when Vasquez tripled off the wall in right-center for his second hit in his first game against his former team since being traded to Southern Illinois after the all-star break last season. Frank Martinez drove him in with a sacrifice fly, making it 5-2.

The Grizzlies rallied for two runs off of the bullpen in the seventh inning, but stranded two baserunners when Evan Mott came in and struck out Waldrip to preserve the lead. After Mott hit Grant Buckner and walked Madison Beaird, Pete Perez relieved him in the eighth with no one out and got out of the jam following a sacrifice bunt, a fielder's choice and a strikeout. Perez struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the six-out save, his fourth of the season, and nail down the win for Lopez and the Miners.

Vasquez and Earley led four Miners with two hits apiece as they out-hit the Grizzlies 11 to five in the contest to take the opener of the midweek series, their fifth consecutive win over Gateway on the road dating back to June of last season. Weather permitting, game two of the series will take place at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, with Rick Teasley taking the hill against Gateway right-hander Max Schonfeld.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2014 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at 618-998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.

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Frontier League Stories from July 1, 2015


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